Friends and Fiancees
by Nez Sum
Summary: Just when Ranma and Akane are beginning to get some kind of a relationship in order, a certain forgetful rival comes back into the picture. Has he really only come for Akane’s help or is he trying to take back the girl he loves? Ra/Ak


**FRIENDS AND FIANCEES****  
CHAPTER ONE : PUSH BROOMS AND PILLOWS**

Rising from the bed just enough to see out of one of the eyes he had managed to pry open, Ranma Saotome braced himself on his toned forearm and set his blue eye on the window above Akane's desk. Damnit, what the hell could it possibly be now? he thought groggily. Couldn't a person get some sleep in this stupid town without some freak wanting to slice your head off?

"Ranma…" Akane stirred against him. "What are you…"

"Geez, the stupid bastard has us both up now…."

"Who?"

He thumped his head back into the pillow.

"Don't know, don't care. Night, Akane."

"Hey, what sort of martial artist are you?"

"The kind that likes sleep."

Too lethargic from having just woke up, Akane ineffectively pressed her hand against his cheek in the attempts of a slap. Ranma took the hand from his face and pressed it to his chest as he yawned.

"Just ignore it and it'll go away."

"Since when have any of the people you've pissed off ever gone away…"

She did have a point there…

"Besides, I don't want one of your strange stalkers jumping into my room at night! Especially when…" He felt Akane's hand tense against his palm.

"Especially when what…?" he questioned innocently.

Akane said nothing, her nervous brown eyes staring at their joined hands before lifting to meet his gaze. A stupid grin slowly spread across his face as he, using the hand he still held, maneuvered her closer to him.

"It's not like I can help it that there's a bunch of idiots who like attacking me in the middle of the night. If you don't want anyone to see us then next time don't ask me to sleep here, baka."

Her face rose in a blush. "I-I didn't ask you, you conceited jerk! You're the one who just crawls in whenever you want!"

"But you never stop me from coming. You might as well be begging me."

"As if I'd ever beg you for anything! Honestly, you're such a--Ranma!"

His free arm slid beneath her and took hold of her waist, easing Akane's body into his before rolling her ontop of him in a quick move. He heard Akane's breath catch, felt her hands attempt to grasp something for control. Instead they met with bare skin and drew nail marks into his muscular chest. In the same move, Ranma was able to catch her lips against his as she was propelled forward. It all felt pretty damn good to him and he smiled up at her pissed off expression while she angrily pulled at his cheeks.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!"

"Sheesh, Akane. You're such a sissy. What did you think I was going to do?"

"I-I don't know what goes on in your perverted mind…!"

"Who would have perverted thoughts over you?"

She pulled harder at his cheeks as he laughed.

He knew he shouldn't say stuff like that, especially in this situation, but he couldn't help it that he liked teasing her. It was also to make up for the fact that he could never actually say what he was thinking about when they slept together. Kissing her like this was one thing. If he tried anything else with her, Akane would slap him for sure, wouldn't she? Well. If kissing was all she gave him, kissing was what Akane was gonna get....

As soon as he had rolled them so she was beneath him, Ranma started kissing her neck, instantly elated by the way she giggled and squirmed, telling him to stop before someone heard. It was just too much off a rare thing that he was able to make her laugh and for her to be so sexy. Hell, if he was gonna give this up for anything. Especially as her fingers dug into his shoulders and sprawled against bare chest when he lowered his body to intensify his kissing attack. He had every intention of starting something when she suddenly pushed him back.

"A-Aren't you going to see who it is, at least?"

"Who?"

"Whoever woke us up."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"The person outside the window, dummy!"

"What person?"

Akane abruptly pulled her hand out of his and slammed it into his face. Ranma bit down a growl.

"Damnit, Akane! I already told ya I don't care who the bastard is!"

"Well, I do!"

"If he wanted to attack me, he would have, stupid!"

"But…"

"But what?!"

"You know what! If someone comes in here for you---!"

"If anyone comes close, I'll knock them out of here before they make it to your window, alright?"

"While you're---?!"

"What difference does it make?! I can always sense when something is comin' at me!"

A pillow struck him and he flailed, falling off the bed.

Ranma sighed as Akane tossed his shirt at him. "How uncute…."

"If I'm so uncute then stop sleeping in my bed."

"Oh, wouldn't that be great?" he replied, without any conviction in his voice. "You say that now but you'll be sorry when I'm not here. Why can't you just admit how much you like sleeping with me, anyways?"

"Why can't you?"

Ranma shrunk away. "B-Because it doesn't matter to me, stupid."

"And you think it does to me? I sleep much better without your fathead taking up the whole bed."

"Oooh? So you wouldn't care if I never slept here again?"

"Not at all," she answered, coldly.

His temper flared. "Damnit, Akane! Quite being a stubborn moron…!"

A mallet struck his skull. "Who are you calling a moron?!"

"The stupid chestless girl who's ruining the mood!"

"Don't flatter yourself, Ranma. Nothing was going to happen."

Stupid Akane. Here they were, lying in bed together, barely had any clothes on, bodies pressed up against each other in contact with every possible inch of one another and she was still as sexless as ever. Not that he didn't like her for the stubbornness. But now? Here? Ranma smacked his head into the pillow with angst. Akane, you're so uncute!!!!

"Where are you going?"

"What do you care?"

Akane pressed her lips together in frustration but said nothing.

"Might as well go and see who it is," he muttered under his breath. "I'll get more action out there then in I will in here."

"That's true."

Ranma pulled a face. Stupid unsexy, Akane….That was the last time he would get turned on by her!!!! He didn't care how cute she acted or how much she begged him to sleep with her! She could have the whole damn bed, if that's what she wanted. Heh. Like it really mattered to him whether he slept with a tomboy or not. But….well, since it didn't matter either way, he'd just come back to sleep here after he found out who was outside.

Reaching for his shirt on the floor, Ranma pushed his arms through the sleeves and rose from the bed. Immediately his hand was caught, his body urged back.

That Akane. He knew she couldn't resist him…

He turned, feigning disinterest. "Now what?"

"Ranma, please…"

_Ranma! Please don't go out there!_

_I have to Akane. A martial artist needs to take on any challenge. Don't try and stop me._

_But…I want you to stay in bed with me….I can't sleep without your manly body next to mine! Please Ranma, whoever it is will go away….please just come back to bed!_

"Hey, stupid." Akane was hitting him repeatedly with the pillow. "Are you listening to me?"

"Don't worry, Akane." After squeezing her hand Ranma headed for the window and slipped it open with a grin. "I'll take care of whoever the hell it is and be back in bed with you in no time!"

"I-I never said I was worried about that, you dummy! I just asked you to close the window when you go because it's cold and…." Akane huffed under her breath and hugged herself with a self-conscious blush as Ranma disappeared from the open window. "He didn't even hear me…"

The chill of the winter night mixing with the sudden blast of snow hit Ranma harder than he had expected. Stumbling a bit on his way up to the roof, Ranma cursed under his breathe at the late night intruder. After being warmed in a bed with Akane, this whole thing of being outside was cruel and unwanted. More than that, it was annoying. Even sleeping with an unsexy tomboy was much more appealing than standing on a roof while the wind lanced ice against your cheek.

"Whoever the hell you are, let's get this over with. I got better things to do," Ranma shouted over the wind. He shifted into a waiting stance but no one appeared. Odd. People he ticked off usually went right at him….

Hmm. No reply. No movement. No presence was up here, either. He had sensed something, though. Even Akane had. Ranma's keen blue eyes scanned the drifting snow for a clue or a shade, even an outline but there was nothing. Damnit. Getting out of bed for nothing…

"What a waste of time," he called, tauntingly. "If you're gonna take the time to piss me off, then the least you could do is show yourself and fight."

On still getting no reply Ranma cursed the coward and headed back to be with Akane. Nothing was worth this, he mused. Let whoever it was come tomorrow if he wanted. Preferable at a time when he was not trying to sleep. Or eat. Crouching down on the roof and about to swing into the window, Ranma sensed a presence coming towards him. He jumped and landed off on the opposite side of the roof.

A flash of fabric caught his eye. Springing up to his feet, Ranma made to follow, only to have a hard object collide with his skull. After dropping to the roof with an ungraceful grunt, Ranma observed the long thin object in disbelief.

A push broom….

"Who was it?" Akane asked as Ranma pulled off his damp shirt.

"No one," he lied. After getting back to his spot in her bed, Ranma folded his arms behind his head and yawned. "The coward probably got scared and ran off."

"Mou, Ranma. You're all cold and wet now."

"I'm not touching you so what do you care?" he replied defensively. "I'll leave, if that's how you feel. It's not like it matters to me where I sleep. I'm only here because you want me to be."

Lies, lies, lies.

It mattered. Oh, it matted. Especially after what he thought had happened on the roof. But like hell was he going to let Akane know just how much it mattered to him.

"Idiot." Akane pulled the blankets higher up on his chest. "And you tell me I take things the wrong way…"

Ranma blushed from the obvious mistake. She was just concerned about his being cold….damnit. He looked like an idiot. Maybe he was on edge over the push broom. Really, the damn thing could belong to anyone. That person had no business here. No business with him or Akane anymore so why would he be the one on the roof? It made no sense so Ranma refused to believe it. The guy didn't even show himself so Ranma in return had no business with him, after all.

Opting for forgetting the whole thing as unimportant, Ranma turned to face Akane and reached out for her. He hadn't actually meant to take her in his arms, but Akane didn't stop him, even after feeling the rather aggressive and abrupt way he had pulled her to him. She merely yawned and closed her eyes.

"What time are you and your dad leaving tomorrow?"

"Probably before seven. Why?"

"Two more hours until you have to go back to your room, then," she warned. "Kasumi Onee-chan will be up soon…."


End file.
